Lewes
Lewes has many independent bookshops for its size. Most are on the High Street about ten minutes uphill from the train station. Some bookshops aren't on official lists. They are only discovered by walking the streets or reading this blog.
90. Bow Windows Bookshop is at 175 High Street. It was founded in 1964 by Dawson Books, a book supplier to libraries.
The shop has rooms beyond rooms. It is about 2 narrowboats in size, in a bendy sort of way. The building felt like a crypt and was slightly cool. There were secondhand books on many subjects and not as expensive as I'd expected. Outside were bargain books. Inside, hardbacks varied from £3 to expensive. They were old books, well kept. Anyone who likes old fiction, old writers, or old science would like this shop.
Library books absorb sound. When a critical mass of them gather together the building becomes strangely silent. Bay Windows Bookshop is like that. When you enter the back room you enter the sound event horizon and sound doesn't escape. If there were an explosion in the corner, all you would hear is a faint "Shhh!" noise.
91. A and Y Cummings is at 84 High Street. Cumming's is only a small shop at about 3/4 Narrowboat. It has some remarkably good books that were affordable. It is a traditional antiquarian bookshop, where price depends on the quality of the cover rather than the quality of the writer.
Unusually for an antiquarian bookshop, Cumming's does not sell books via the internet. You have to visit to see what's available. In spite of this it is doing well with local trade.
I was put off when I first entered, thinking that the shop would be too expensive. Some books were, but I was surprised that some seemed under-priced. Perhaps they were reprints. It is definitely worth a visit if you're prepared to pay £20 or more for a good book.
92. Barbican House is at 169 High Street. It doesn't advertise itself on the street, lest customers should inadvertently pop in and buy a book. It is part of the Castle visitors' centre. Inside the centre there is a sign, hidden discreetly behind the door so it doesn't attract attention.
The books are on history and archaeology, and amount to about six bookcases. Prices are reasonable. I felt six bookcases was insufficient. Books were well curated by a very helpful and informative book curator, John Bleach. Books are donated by members of the archaeological group. It has been selling secondhand books for twenty years.
93. Bag of Books is at 1 South Street. I found that Google Maps has difficulty navigating this area. Following the GPS navigation system it is possible to get locked in an endless and potentially fatal pedestrian loop. I suggest heading towards the bridge over the river, turning off the phone and following street signs.
Bag of Books is a children's bookshop that has been going for 25 years. It is mainly for younger readers but has books for teenagers too. The shop is long and thin, like a narrowboat. It even has a low roof like a narrowboat. It's quite cosy. The range of books was good. I don't know of any other bookshop for children in the area.
94. Lewes Book Centre is at 38 Cliffe High Street, not far from Bag of Books. It looks like a big secondhand bookshop.
It is advertised as open from 10:30am. Unfortunately it wasn't open by 10:40am so I couldn't visit it.
95. Boon Books is at 18 High Street. This is a remainders bookshop that has been going for four years. Behind the shop front lies a large space for books, measuring about two narrowboats in size. The books are good value and cover a wide range of topics.
They are currently developing an online version of the shop so they can enjoy the frustration, technical problems and extra costs of other online bookshops.
96. British Bookshops is at 34-35 High Street. It is a stationer and bookshop.
This bookshop felt disturbingly like WH Smith. It was quite big, about four narrowboats, and had a range of new books with 15% off. It also sold stationery. One of the assistants said it operated as a chain in South East England. In 2011 it was bought out by WH Smith. It lacks personality.
Brighton
97. Raining Books is at 28 Trafalgar Street. It is five minutes walk from Brighton train station. Raining Books has been running for twenty years. The shop is a converted house and surprisingly big, covering about four narrowboats of space over two floors. The shop fits well within the "chaotic bookshop" genre.
There is a certain amount of order within the chaos. Books are classified carefully and then wedged into the shelving, usually with top poking out so the title cannot be seen. Once in place, the book is safe and will not be removed for another twenty years. Books are also stored on the floor to save shelf space.
The range of books is excellent. The shop owner will offer help when tracking down books. Each book has a coloured dot on the front which matches a price chart on the wall. Most paperbacks are around £3.
The shop is owned by Raining Books. The building needs some repair and may be a bit damp in the basement.
98. Dave's Comics is at 5 Sydney Street. This was a big shop selling graphic novels and books. It has been running for twenty years.
It was about five narrowboats in size, over two floors. It was very popular too. Superheroes were upstairs. I went up but nobody showed superhuman abilities.
Downstairs the guy at the front desk told me about the shop and then about his life story. It never occured to me that he might be a superhero with the power to trap people in an endless conversation that sucks all life from them, until their husk falls lifeless on the floor and turns to dust. What could I do? He didn't seem to pause to breathe and spoke forcefully. I tried smiling and nodding. It didn't work! I tried to edge to the door, but I was caught in his force-field that stopped me from moving. I couldn't work out how this conversation would end and I felt my brain seize up. And then... his phone rang! In that moment of distraction I turned and made it to into the safety of a busy street. Phew!
99. Books for Amnesty is at 15 Sydney Street, not far from Dave's Comics.
Books For Amnesty is a chain of bookshops that helps fund Amnesty International. This one was not big, about 1.5 narrowboats. It had a few books from a range of topics: some fiction, some psychology, a few political books and so on. Prices were not as cheap as other secondhand bookshops. It was arranged by subject area. I suspect there are bigger Books For Amnesty in other cities. It wasn't an outstanding shop.
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